Sea Buckthorn: A very surprising fruit
Thursday 29 March 2012
A dried fruit that has recently been launched into the UK is gaining in popularity thanks to its surprising vitamin content. Very unusually for a plant food, Sea Buckthorn berries contain significant amounts of Vitamin B 12[1] – a nutrient normally only found in meat, fish or dairy foods. It is thought to be one of only a few plant foods which contains this nutrient in a form which is absorbable to humans. The product, which has been robustly tested by one of Europe’s leading laboratories[2], has been found to offer four times (424%) of the RDA of vitamin B 12 in just one 25g serving.
The producers, Marap, believe it’s the unusual nutritional profile of the fruit that’s causing the demand. Its sundried organic Sea Buckthorn, which is stocked in health food stores nationwide, has seen a sales increase of 30 per cent in the last six months.
Vitamin B 12 is needed by the body for many important processes – but particularly for making red blood cells, which is why deficiencies in vitamin B 12 can lead to a type of anaemia, known as megaloblastic or pernicious anaemia.
Not only do the berries contain vitamin B 12, but they are also one of only a few naturally rich sources of omega 7 fatty acid. Evidence suggests that Omega 7 is an anti-inflammatory and may help in making the body more sensitive to insulin, which can help people who are overweight and suffer from metabolic syndrome[3].
Sea Buckthorn is also an astonishing source of vitamin C, with around 350mg per 25g serving (more than in 5 times the average glasses of orange juice). This serving size also supplies a generous amount of carotenoid antioxidants, thought to help protect skin from the effect of UV light and to be part of the body’s armoury against cancer and heart disease.
Angela Dowden, an independent nutritionist explained: “Those most at risk of a shortage of vitamin B 12 are vegans and the older people, but it is a very important nutrient for everyone. B 12 helps maintain a healthy nervous system and in conjunction with other B vitamins, is important for protecting against the effects of a stressful lifestyle. It also helps, along with vitamin B6 and folic acid, to keep down levels of homocysteine, a substance in the blood that has been linked with dementia and cognitive decline in later life[4]. Omega 7 is one of the lesser well known fatty acids, but it is thought to have excellent anti-inflammatory properties.”
Dr Josef Bertagnoli, managing director of Marap: “Sea Buckthorn is not only surprising from a nutritional perspective, but it is also very easy to use and has a great flavour. The berries can be used in a variety of ways including being sprinkled onto cereals, muesli or added to salads. Like many of our products the berries are organic and are grown and produced close to the ancient Silk Road in Samarkand before being harvested and dried naturally.”
Sea Buckthorn can be picked wild in certain parts of the UK, but currently Marap is one of the only companies selling the dried whole berries. Sea Buckthorn from Pearls of Samarkand, a brand owned by Marap, is available in 100g convenient resealable bags.
Pearls of Samarkand offers one of the widest ranges of organic dried fruits on the market and is available to buy from health food stores and online at www.marap.co.uk, www.pearlsofsamarkand.com and www.healthy-lifestyle-foods.co.uk.
Ends
Notes to editors
Pearls of Samarkand is a diverse range of quality, organic dried fruits, nuts and seeds harvested, farmed and processed using sustainable methods. All of the products are natural with no added sugar or added ingredients. The range is vegetarian and vegan and all products are raw which means they are only exposed to the natural heat of the sun rather than treated with artificial heat.
Pearls of Samarkand is a brand owned by Marap, a processing company which farms and processes fruits, nuts and seeds from its facilities in Samarkand in Uzbekistan, Mexico, Moldova and Slovenia. Vienna, Austria is the European distribution hub where products are laser sorted, packaged and distributed in resealable pouches.
For further information, product samples, images and interviews, please contact:
Ceres
Edie Barton-Harvey/ Jennifer John
T: 01189 475956
E: edie.barton-harvey@ceres-pr.co.uk, Jennifer.john@ceres-pr.co.uk
[1] Nutritional analysis carried out using the HPLC Method determined the cyanocobalamin form of Vitamin B12 in Sea Buckthorn.
[2] LVA GmbH. The LVA is a partner and advisor to the food industry in chemical and microbiological analyses, hygiene and plant inspections and bears responsibility within interest groups. As an accredited institute, the LVA fulfills the function of a state authorized institute. www.lva.at
[3]Chronic administration of palmitoleic acid reduces insulin resistance and hepatic lipid accumulation in KK-Ay Mice with genetic type 2 diabetes. Zhi-Hong Yang, Hiroko Miyahara and Akimasa Hatanaka (July 2011) http://www.lipidworld.com/content/10/1/120
[4] The worldwide challenge of the dementias: a role for B vitamins and homocysteine?
Food Nutr Bull. 2008 Jun ;29(2 Suppl):S143-72. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18709889
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